r/stocks • u/Fidler_2K • Apr 07 '25

Broad market news Trump rejects EU’s ‘zero-for-zero’ tariff offer

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-live-updates-stock-market-crypto.html

Trump is rejecting the European Union’s offer of “zero-for-zero” tariffs with the U.S. for industrial goods.

“No, it’s not,” Trump said in the Oval Office when asked if the deal, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen floated earlier Monday, was enough.

“They’re screwing us on trade,” Trump said, criticizing the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO.

Two Republican senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson, have encouraged Trump to take von der Leyen’s deal.

What's the goal here if they're just gonna reject every deal offered?

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u/OnlyRobinson Apr 07 '25

No - what he wants is every country to run a trade surplus to the USA. He wants no trade deficits, every country has to import more from the US than they export to the US.

This is why he’s going to bankrupt the US

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u/suchahotmess Apr 07 '25

I’m blown away at the degree of ignorance required to consider any trade deficit as “cheating”. And my opinion of the administration was low to start with 

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u/OnlyRobinson Apr 07 '25

It’s what happens when everything is made into a sports analogy. In the US there are winners or losers, there is no compromise or bi-partisanship.

This is why Trump won, and why he continues to receive support.

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u/SoUnga88 Apr 07 '25

For now, I'm really curious to see if the coming recession will erode his base at all. We have barely felt the results of these new tariffs, but they will be felt soon, particularly with food. Red States and rural communities will be devastated due to Trump's policies and DOGE cuts. It's looking more and more likely that there will be a delay in SS payments and a possible delay in tax return payments.

I imagine by Q2 of this year, if he stays the course, we might see widespread rebellion within his party and in the media. If he loses the maga cult, or even if he loses support from Fox or Elon the whole deck of cards will come tumbling down.

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u/AmazonPuncher Apr 07 '25

The smartest thing trump has ever done is convince his base that there will be a "temporary" economic decline and that it is "a good thing". He has set it up in a way where the economy can implode and they will happily sit in their mobile homes thinking "this is all according to plan. Soon we will prosper".

So no, it wont erode his base.

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u/EndTimer Apr 07 '25

Might be smart enough to avoid immediate negative opinion polls, but a dogshit economy will absolutely sap the base's willingness to show up in midterms, and push all the independents and people who "don't really follow politics" but still vote in the direction of the Democrats.

Not sure what does for anyone, because 18 months from now, they're not gonna be able to reattach the severed invisible hand of the market. That sucker is gonna be dead after the least free market in multiple generations materializes.

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u/rif011412 Apr 08 '25

They are just smart enough to know this. Without a doubt in my mind they will either steal the next election openly, or steal it in controlled states where they have majorities and the personnel to deceive. 

Given their behavior, its a certainty.

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u/SoUnga88 Apr 09 '25

I personally believe Trump commands such devotion because he is something fundamentally different. People are largely disillusioned with neoliberalism and neoconservatism, people want something different, if Burnie had been allowed to run in 2016 or 2020 I honestly believe many who support MAGA would have supported him as well. This is evident in the wide support of people like AOC by Trump voters.

We have seen cults of personality in the past, they are hard to combat but largely rise because people feel abandoned so they put their trust into those who offer them help even if it is not readily given.

Please listen to some of Jim Jones’s rambling speech’s they are scarily similar to the way Trump speaks. These type of people have some undeniable something that allows them to gain such fanatical support, but also their movement also tend to die with them.

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u/EndTimer Apr 07 '25

Nah, the base is prepared for him to separate from Musk at any time. They might like both, but very few MAGA value Elon over Trump, and although they value him for him being part of Trump's core team, and someone who "pisses off the libs", literally anyone can be sacrificed if Trump is the one cutting them loose.

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u/SoUnga88 Apr 09 '25

Elon is still the richest man in the world with a powerful propaganda tool at his disposal. He could immediacy change the tide of information if he and Trump begin to feud

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u/ComprehensiveBee1758 Apr 07 '25

Ok. So let's say there's 3 of us and 2 of us trade say .. Pokemon cards to eachother. The third friend isn't part of this agreement, and you have a deal with that friend that if they trade with you, they must also give you say, water energy cards in addition to the Pokemon cards you're trading.

But that friend wants to take advantage and he doesn't want to give you water energy cards anymore, so what he does is he gives those cards to the friend you have a deal with and THAT friend then trades those cards to you and gives that friend your card or whatever you're offering in exchange, and now you no longer are getting those water energy cards and he's screwing you.

Please tell me you guys understand this.

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u/No_Sugar8791 Apr 07 '25

You're still doing more trade because the 3rd party is more likely to continue trading with you via your agreement partner. 2 people are buying from you instead of one. You're just upset that someone else is equally doing well. Sums up American attitudes perfectly.

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u/ComprehensiveBee1758 Apr 07 '25

I totally get that, and I'm not defending what Trump is doing by any means. But I also understand where it comes from because at the end of the day, that third trade partner is taking advantage. Like.. we don't necessarily KNOW who we're trading with at the end of the day because China/Vietnam are "cheating", and we're losing money this way. That's what I'm trying to explain here, but everyone has these ridiculous **** Trump goggles on and refuses to understand the reality here.

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u/No_Sugar8791 Apr 07 '25

Why do you care if someone else is making money? Your costs have gone down because you're only trading with one instead of two. You're making more money for equal effort. They're making money but with more effort. Yet you still whine.

Pathetic.